Wilting Topaz
by incondicency
Summary: The blossoms are wilting, and they've only just grown. I can't recall why it makes me feel empty, but just the memories of seeing those dying yellow daffodils in the boy's coarse hands... Those daffodils, same color as his eyes- topaz gold eyes. Wilting.
1. Chapter One: Wilting Topaz

And maybe I should have just walked away like my cousin Bella had suggested- just walk away from any strangers.

But I couldn't have kept my eyes-damn them- from his hands, from his eyes. The flowers he held in his clenched fist, the secrets he hid in those beautiful yet harsh orbs. The blossoms were wilting, and they've only just grown. I can't recall why it makes me feel empty, but just the memories of seeing those dying yellow daffodils in the boy's coarse hands... Those daffodils, same color as his eyes- topaz gold eyes. Wilting.

* * *

Glaring viciously into the timber-maned wolf's golden-topaz eyes, the corners of my lips raised unconsciously to form a sharp snarl, my hesitation surfacing and disappearing in less than a second. The wolf gnashed his teeth back dangerously at me, gleaming canines seeming to elongate in the timid glow of moonlight. His muzzle crinkled in disgust, making the skin crawl up, fully exposing the white teeth, much too bright for my taste. We've successfully mirrored each other, my wolf and I, both wearing the same ferocious, savage grimaces. A hiss no louder than a whisper darts past my numb, slightly parted lips, and the wolf lunges. His coarse fur rubs roughly against my chest as l dodge the snaps and gnarls aimed for my throat. A warm and sticky liquid glides down my cheek, and I realize a moment too late that the wolf's knife-like claw has pierced through the thin layer of sun-kissed skin lying below my left eye. Quickly turning on him, I surged forward, pinning him to the damp, coffee-bean ground. There's a loud and sudden clicking sound which I recognize later to be the snap of my teeth clicking together quickly, clenching tightly and then unclenching briskly. The auburn wolf struggles under my grasp, its claws scratching against my fingers, red marks appearing over lightly-tanned skin, and breaks away easily. Again I feel a sticky wetness, but this time it's located near my right temple. I refuse to flinch as the rusty-colored wolf bares its fangs at me, much too close for my comfort. But a gasp escapes the safety of behind my lips—it's almost silent, true, but still a cry nonetheless—and I watch in a heated fury as the wolf seems to smirk victoriously at me. The haughty glimmer in its eyes only lasts a moment before it growls at me again and dark spots cloud my vision. A prickly, stinging shot of pain spills into the back of my mind, its pools of hurt growing larger and larger until it's the only thing I feel, the only thing I _can_ feel. The dark patches that had appeared at first as a mist grew into a heavy fog, black covering my vision and…

Empty nothingness.

* * *

And when I wake up, I expect to see him. Glaring at me coldly, our eyes lock for an instant and then his gorgeous orbs pierce me until I am forced to look away.

And when I wake up, I expect a glower and only a glower from him, nothing more and nothing less. And that is what I get.

And when I wake up, I expect no words of comfort or apology for knocking me out. There's only a frigid silence. But neither of us are bothered by it.

And when I wake up, I expect that he knows how I feel and if I'm alright. Because he does; I can see it in his actions- reserved yet concerned, just a bit.

And when I wake up, I expect him to stay by my side and only by my side. And that's where he is, staring off into the distance, brows knotted in his everyday frown. But he's still here, and that's what I expect when I wake up.

"Don't ask me to attack you if you can't defend yourself," my wolf says harshly. I don't mind, though, because I'm used to it.

"I _can too _defend myself. I thought you said you'd go easy on me," I snap back, still lying on the ground, soft grass teasing my nose. He snorts and I roll my eyes, our usual exchange of conversation.

"I _did _go easy on you, weakling." I don't bother to argue with Nate because I'm used to this. I'm used to his insults; they bounce right off my steel, six-inch-thick armor. I'm used to his snorts and his scoffs. I'm used to everything about him, from the forest-scented smell of his fur and hair to the shadow of his well-defined figure. He runs a slim hand through his unruly orange-blonde hair, seeming pleased to be in his human form. Or at least as pleased as Nate can look with his usually emotionless or seemingly fierce features, blank looks in his eyes but frowns etched onto his lips. It's hard to tell when he's happy, but I think I've learned a lot about Nate. His eyes lose their glazed-over stares when he's pleased. His grimace softens up, almost disappearing from his beautiful face. I laugh suddenly, drawing a slightly confused look from my wolf, one that shifts into a glare of annoyance. I laugh again. What on earth was I thinking, "_I learned a lot about Nate"_? Nate is a lock that I can't find the key to, no matter how hard I try. The closest I can get to knowing him is taking a bobby-pin and hoping that somehow he will pry open. So I wait patiently for that moment, for the moment when Nate will let me drown in his secrets the same way I drown in his honey-gold eyes.

"Get up," Nate demands, not offering a single hand to help me up. But I don't wait for one. Rising steadily to my feet, I follow as he grabs my hand and pulls me through the woods. The walk is silent, and I don't anticipate a conversation. Nate likes his walks silent, and so I let him have silent walks. The leaves crunch loudly under my feet and the twigs rub against my knees through the rips in my jeans. I am screaming in comparison to Nate—silent and stealthy, stepping here and there for only a second, nothing moving under his touch. He's like a ghost, leaving no traces of ever being anywhere. I glare at him in jealousy, but he glares back. And my glower falters, because I can't beat his.

He leads me to a running stream surprisingly quickly considering that he had never been to this part of the forest before. Bending down, he dips his hands in the water with ease and rinses his perfect, oval face with the clear, clean liquid. I kneel down next to him, slightly dirtying my knees with the mud lying next to the babbling brook. The water smells sweet as I hesitantly brush the surface of it with my fingertips. Eagerly submerging my hands into the icy liquid, I flex my fingers until they grow numb, enjoying the feel of the cold. A single touch of the frigid water sends a jolt of energy darting through my veins. Ready to wash off my face, too, I reach for the liquid but I soon realize that there's nothing for me to wash. My skin is clean, shockingly clean. My left hand flies to my neck and my other to my temple, but the blood there is non-existent. Where was the evidence of the fight from last night?

"Took you to the stream and cleaned you up," I hear Nate mutter, nearly inaudible. It's only when he quirks an inquisitive brow at me that I become aware of the foolish grin on my lips. He shakes his head at me and looks away in irritation or maybe even embarrassment and pinches the bridge of his nose in annoyance. I hear a faint "should've just killed you", but the smile not once removes it from my lips. It stays there, unfaltering, and I think I can see a tiny one grow on Nate's features, too. Before I can decipher what was happening, my face was suddenly close to his cheek; I must've pecked him there on impulse. And though it was involuntary, I decide that I like the feeling of my lips pressed against his cheek. My gaze shifts over to his lips, pale pink, and I can feel Nate growing a light tinge of red. "Shut up," he mumbles, "I can hear you _thinking._"

* * *

A/N:

There! Done! I finished! The first chapter! Yay!

I'm not particularly fond of Twilight, so this was a challenge until I decided to create my own couple. And I think this will be set sometime around the end of Breaking Dawn, yup. *nodnod* Next chapter will be done from Third Person~

DISCLAIMER:

I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT.

Nor do I want to, no offense.

*gulps* Hope I didn't chase off any Twilight-lovers (that could be potential reviewers XD)


	2. Chapter Two: Tension

N/A:

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT, NOR DO I WANT TO.**

**WAIT, NO, ACTUALLY, THE EDWARD FROM THE BOOK IS STILL PRETTY HOT...**

**I GUESS I JUST DON'T LIKE THE MOVIES. HMM... AND I HATE BREAKING DAWN.**

Ah. Okay, just had to get that out of the way~ ^^" It's around the middle-beginning of Eclipse. Here we shift to 3rd POV, in the small town of Forks, Washington State.

I apologize if any of it is OOC. I try my best; I haven't read Twilight in a while.

* * *

"That's... a lot of ketchup," Alice deadpanned, warily eyeing the hamburger resting in Bella's hands as if it would lash out and snap at her. Bella frowned.

"Really?" she asked, and took a bite of her hamburger, her dark honey-brown eyes widening as Alice flinched. "I think it tastes delicious," Bella said sheepishly, slightly worried for Alice, whose back immediately straightened when Bella took another bite. "What— oh." Bella quickly placed her hamburger down on her plate and threw it away, only a juice box remaining on her tray. Alice laughed hesitantly, her smile in nearly unnoticeable strain. She regained her comfortable posture as Bella finished her lunch.

"I still can't seem to get used to... your _smell_," Alice admitted hesitantly, a pale, slim finger twirling around through her dark brown hair. "The ketchup only reminds me of blood," Alice muttered darkly. Bella laughed. "It's okay," she said in her usual quiet tone, "I know, I know." She was about to say something else, but she decided to close her lips on the straw of her juice box. She finished it and threw it away without a second thought, returning to Alice. "My cousin..." she started. Bella looked at Alice expectantly, who'd just raised an elegant eyebrow and was wearing the same expression.

"Yes?" Alice asked, confused as to why _Bella_ was confused. _She's looking at me like I have something to say, but isn't she the one who was going to tell me something? Or is it just me...?_

"You mean you haven't seen anything?" Bella asked, puzzled. Alice shook her head, frowning. "Seen _what? _Bella! Tell me, or else I won't take you shopping," Alice snapped childishly. Bella chuckled and grinned at her entertaining friend. "I already told you, I don't need any new clothes." Alice pouted. "But look at what you're _wearing! _Just a white t-shirt and a pair of jeans? Your jeans aren't even ripped and that t-shirt is _just so plain!_" she whined, receiving several confused looks from the people sitting at tables around them. Bella laughed again. She shuddered, though, reaching for a jacket. Her shoulders felt awfully cold and exposed although there were sleeves covering them...

"Finished with lunch?"

Cocoa eyes locking with golden orbs, Bella hugged her boyfriend gently. The cold on her shoulders must've been Edward's hands. She smiled. "Edward," she said softly, pressing a peck to his cheek. She grinned at him. Edward smiled back, returning the kiss. "Hey, hey! Just because you're her boyfriend doesn't mean you can just interrupt our _very educational_ conversation!" Alice playfully poked Edward in the back of his head, trying to push him away. Bella giggled. "What part of our conversation was _'educational', _Alice?" she joked, eyes twinkling. It was so much _fun_ with her vampire friends. "When you started saying something about your cousin," Alice retorted evenly, nose pointed upwards in pride. Edward frowned, though.

"What about your cousin?" he inquired cautiously. Bella glanced at him. "My cousin's coming to visit," she said quietly.

"That's great!" Alice's voice chirped. "I'll take her shopping, and we can all get to know each other and—"

"—Alice, that's terrible." Edward's voice was velvety and grim.

"It is," said a silky-smooth voice. It belonged to Jasper who had just arrived, sitting next to Alice. Giving Alice sweet kiss n her forehead, he added, "How will we explain to her about us?" Edward nodded. Jasper rarely spoke, but when he did, he usually had the same things on his mind as his brother Edward. Alice glanced from Bella to Edward to Jasper worriedly. "After school," she said decisively, "We'll talk about this at our house."

* * *

Edward's hands were polished, beautiful, but they pulled Bella roughly out of his sleek car. Not noticing how Bella flinched at his tightening grasp on her hand, Edward slipped into his house, where Carlisle and Esme were waiting, Bella trailing behind him.

"Edward, are you alright?" Esme asked, her voice creamy and delicate, gentle and sweet. Edward frowned.

"Why do you ask, Esme?"

Esme looked a bit startled then. She fumbled around at a loss of words. "Well- I mean- Bella looks a bit uncomfortable, and your hand is squeezing hers a bit too tightly..." Edward blinked. He whipped around to look at Bella and apologize, but he did it much too suddenly. Bella winced, and immediately Edward was practically _drowning_in guilt.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—" Bella managed a weak smile and writhed out of his grasp, rubbing her hand. Light bruises decorated her knuckles. "I'll be okay," she soothed Edward as he put his head down in his hands, taking a seat next to Esme. Bella soon sat next to him, just to show him that yes, she'd forgiven him. "Not your fault," she cooed softly. Carlisle got up from his own leather chair, smiling reassuringly at Edward.

"I'll go get some ice, Bella," he said, gently examining her hand and then leaving to the kitchen. Bella nodded and pressed a soft kiss onto Edward's icy marble hand. He looked back up at the daring human guiltily, wearing something between a grimace and a grin, but not quite a flat line.

"So, who'll tell Mom and Dad?" asked Alice, who'd just arrived (apparently the teacher had decided to give her "detention" for some unknown reason like, oh, maybe looking good, and decided to stare at her the whole time). Jasper stood by her side, fingers intertwined with the other vampire's. A mist of calm was slowly eased out; Jasper had sensed tension in the living room.

"I will," offered Edward, just as Carlisle came back with the much needed ice pack. "Esme, Carlisle," he began slowly, watching as Jasper's skill took effect, "Bella's sister is coming. And she's not exactly sure for how long." Bella frowned, noticing that Jasper's skill was working on her but not Edward- he was still... Trembling? In anxiety, fear, or...?

"Actually, Edward, she's my cousin." Bella's voice was thick with concern fighting against forced peacefulness. She smiled a bit, hearing Alice tell Jasper to stop in a hushed whisper.

"Oh." Edward shook his head. "Sorry... again."

The room was still grim and silent; Bella's busy fiddling fingers, despite the ice she'd placed on the back of her hands, were the only things moving.

* * *

As we shift back over to the main character (whose name has not yet been revealed) and Nate, the sun slowly declines, almost sinking into the flat line of the horizon. It is late dusk, and the two are making their way towards Forks, Washington.

* * *

"Wake up," commands a voice, docile yet slightly hard-edged. The owner of the voice, a girl with ebony hair and coppery-tanned skin, shakes her companion gently, afraid to startle him. But Nate isn't easily startled, and she knows this. But still...

"What do you want?" snaps a harsh voice. It belongs to a young man with auburn-blonde hair. He sits up straight, eyes cold and sharp, as he brushes the girl's once-smooth hands off of his sholder. The girl doesn't seem to mind or take the action as an insult, though.

"Can't you _smell_her?" hisses the girl, obsidian locks dancing around in the air as she whipped around and points her nose to whatever and wherever "her" was. The man lazily rises to his feet, dusting off imaginary dirt. Sure, he'd taken a nap on the ground, but the grass had been so thick and lush that his torn jeans stayed clean- or at least as clean as they'd been before the nap. "She's got a strong... scent," he says quietly. His usual frown deepened as he realized the girl was fidgeting. He didn't bother to ask what was wrong, though. He didn't want to know. "Let's go," he mutters, his bony fingers running through his hair, swimming through tousled amber hair.

The girl nodded feverishly and followed, hand intertwined with the man's as they raced through the woods.

* * *

"Are you _sure _you haven't seen anything?" Bella's voice was anxious, brimming with worry. Alice rubbed her temples and shook her head dejectedly. "Sorry Bella," she murmured. Jasper, next to her, frowned. He argued with himself inside his head; should or should he not try to release the tension from the room?

"I don't understand," snapped Edward, face contorted into a dazzling grimace. He looked at Bella and relaxed a bit. "Glad I came back from the hunting trip."

Bella nodded. "Yeah... Are Rosalie and Emmet still hunting? Do they usually take days off of school?" Edward frowned again, eyes locked with Bella's. "I know you're trying to ease us up, Bella," he whispered, placing a gentle kiss on the back of her hand, "But we need to stay focused and not change the subject."

"Yeah. Sorry."

Alice frowned too, although being the usually cheerful one. "I can't see _anything! _Even when I press really hard, all I see is dark spots and nothing at all..." Her voice trailed off in a moment of epiphany. Her eyes widened immediately, as did Edward's as he soon read through Alice's mind. He whipped around to ask Bella, "Is she a werewolf?"

Bella shook her head. "Not unless she'd been bitten lately," she started thoughtfully, "and my cousin's always been more of a vampire-like girl, not a werewolf."

Edward's shoulders eased up from the stiff state they'd been in earlier. "Good," he said quietly.

* * *

"This is the new pack," The girl's voice is in a soft and hushed tone. She warily eyed the giant wolves standing before her, teeth bared and canines gleaming. She looked back at Nate, also in wolf form. He was wearing the same look, savage and vicious. His timber-coral fur shook as he bristled at the wolves. "This is the new pack," she repeated, as if the tense scene before her was normal and had happened every day. But why wasn't she scared? Her own wolf looked like it would kill her without a second thought. _But that won't happen, _she reassured herself easily. Nate was larger than the biggest wolf there, and his mussed fur made him look even bigger. _He can take them all down,_ she thought, a bit proudly. Nate was strong and an experienced fighter. He had to be, running into other rogue, solitary wolves and being kicked out of every pack he'd ever become a part of. Nate was just different. _He can handle it._

And perhaps the girl'd been waiting in anticipation for something to happen, but not once did she expect the "something to happen" to be a hand that reached out and grabbed her from behind. Torn away from the fight, she couldn't scream with the rough hand slapped over her mouth. So she bit down. Hard.

"_OW!_"

* * *

"Wait! I see something!" Alice's eyes squeezed together, tight. Her fingers began to rub harder and harder against her forehead-

"She's in the werewolf territory!" Edward's hands gripped the table tightly as he shouted from rare impulsion. "That would explain why Alice couldn't see her!"

"Ah! She's in... Jacob's! The dog's house! Jacob, Jacob, that stupid- AARGH, LET'S JUST GO!" Alice's quick yell ended in a second as she grabbed her coat, key's and Jasper's hand, dragging him out of the house and into the car, key in the ignition and foot on the gas pedal within a second. And Bella and Edward soon followed.

In one swift motion as he started the car, Edward flipped his phone open and dialed a familiar number, the only sound being the rumbling of the car and the clicking of his fingers against the keypad. "Hello? Carlisle? Yeah. No, the dog's house. Now. Gotta go," and his phone was shut and stuffed away sooner than he'd gotten it out.

And so two sleek, shiny cars sped their way to "the dog's house". And within a second, Edward's knuckles came into contact with the wooden door of Jacob's house, knocking hard and carelessly.

"Open up, dog!"

* * *

N/A: Oh. Mai. Gawd. That took me sooooo long, but I realize that the chapter was REAAAAALLY short. *quivers in fear* I'm sorry! Don't kill me!

_~There's the review button, the fave button, and the author's name button. And then there's the back button, which is an alternative to the flame button.~_


End file.
